Sermon Tone Analysis

! The Providence of God - Job 1

Preached by Pastor Phil Layton at Gold Country Baptist Church on February 25, 2007

www.goldcountrybaptst.org

Today I want to look at what used to be the most famous and well-known of God’s attributes in America; Providence.

Nowadays, it’s unfortunately probably one of the least mentioned attributes, and some in this room don’t know what it means.

It’s been well said ‘the historic importance of the doctrine of providence is only overshadowed by its contemporary neglect.

In 1963 [one writer] described providence as “the forgotten stepchild” of contemporary theology …  [It has] been generally ignored and in some cases repudiated.”’

(E.

Frank Tupper, /Review & Expositor, /Vol.

82, p. 579)

 

Today we’re going to look at the book of Job again, this time at the beginning, but before we see God’s providence in Job’s life, I want to go back into our nation’s past a little to get some historical perspective of when people spoke often of God’s providence and urge us to bring this word and concept back into our everyday speech and thinking.

Roger Williams was the founder of the first Baptist church in America [early 1600s, the /real /“*First*” Baptist].

He didn't seem to have a chance.

The law was against him, and the church was against him, and the political leaders were against him.

It was the most spectacular trial in American history to that point, when he was taken to court because of his fight for religious liberty.

He was found guilty and sentenced to banishment.

Americans were not yet ready for such radical liberty, and they wanted this man out of the country.

Fourteen men were hired to surprise him in the night, and drag him to a ship where he would be carried into exile.

Governor Winthrop, who was his secret friend sent him a warning.

He kissed his wife and new born baby, and fled into a blinding snow storm.

For weeks he survived without bread or any weapon.

He ate roots and nuts, and was finally rescued by friendly Indians.

It was only by the providence of God that his life was spared, and that is why when he established a permanent home he called it Providence, Rhode Island.

He founded the first Baptist church of America there in 1639.

His marble statue stands in the Hall of Fame in the Capital building in Washington D.C.

More biographies of Roger Williams have been written than of any other American next to Benjamin Franklin.

What he did laid a foundation for religious liberty for the rest of our history.

(above is taken from www.faithmania.com)

When George Washington was a young officer in the Virginia Militia, reportedly in one battle this 23 year old officer had two horses shot out from under him, and 4 musket balls passed through his coat.

He wrote to his brother after the battle, "Death was leveling my companions on every side of me, but by the all-powerful disposition of providence, I have been protected."

(/Ibid./)

This is the way people spoke.

A couple thanksgivings ago, our extended family was sitting and reading some excerpts from the original pilgrims and original thanksgiving and Jaime’s mom remarked about how they used the word providence and how we don’t hear that word much anymore.

But, the word providence was constantly on the lips of our spiritual forefathers.

-          There were excellent Puritan works, such as /The Mystery of Providence /by John Flavel, or /All Things for Good /by Thomas Watson.

-          You see the word “providence” used in speeches by U.S. presidents into the last century.

-          Even up until Civil War times, the word providence appears all over letters written by everyday soldiers back to their families.

It was very much a part of common language of Americans in recent generations.

-          I find it interesting that providence was so much apart of the vocabulary of God, that it was not just an attribute of God, it was capitalized and used as a /proper name for /God.

This doctrine has really meant a lot to me this past year, and I have experienced the truth of it in God’s directing us to this church here, orchestrating events, knitting our hearts together with the people, how His hand has been so evidently at work here, there is no question that the unity in this pastoral transition of the last few months is the Lord’s providential doing, all of the little details and timing and the preparation of our hearts, from the little things to the big things, God’s providence has been a strength in uncertain times last year seeking the Lord’s will and it has been the pillow upon which I can rest my head at night when difficulties come in the future.

I want to be a part of a movement that brings this word back into our use, because it’s a wonderful word that’s theologically rich and practically essential, and I think Job 1 is a great chapter that illustrates the truth of God’s providence.

We saw last week that the climax of the book of Job is the supremacy of God, that God is God and we are not.

To be clear, God comes to Job in the end as a friend not an enemy, speaking the truth in love to bring Job back to the place of humble trust that can experience the great care and love God has for His own.

In order for us to respect Job properly, notice that according to Job 1:3, Job was the greatest man on earth, he was a blameless man according to verse 1, and God Himself tells Satan in v. 8 that there is no one on earth as righteous as Job.

In Ezekiel 14:20, God appeals to Noah, Daniel, and Job as the best examples of righteous character and intercession in Israel’s memory.

If Job needed to be reminded of God’s supremacy than surely we needed that reminder as well.

The story of Job also teaches us that we do not have all the answers, and God in Job’s case didn’t want him to have all the answers.

God didn’t want Job to reason with him, He wanted Job to rest in Him.

God wants us to trust Him with a childlike faith that may not know what’s ahead, but that holds tight to the hand of a Loving Father.

Even if we did have all our /why /questions answered, it would not satisfy us as much as the /who /question – who God is, that He is sovereign and good.

That’s what Job needed and what we need.

Another theme in the book of Job is the suffering of the righteous.

Many throughout history have asked about the pain of the innocent, and how that fits with God’s sovereignty and character.

The book did not answer all of Job’s questions, nor do I expect this brief message will answer all of your questions about the problem of evil, but it does remind us of important principles about God that we can bank on in any trial.

And in Job 1 we will see four of these principles that will help us in whatever God’s providence has for us in the future.

*God Gives (v.

1-5)*

-          Seven sons and three daughters were given to him in v. 2, signifying completeness.

Children are from the Lord, Psalm 127 declares.

-          Verse 3 also indicates the blessing of God in Job’s possessions, which we also know are from God, as v. 10 and Deuteronomy 8 makes clear.

Everything we have is due to God’s providence, to His provision, His common grace.

-          Notice in verse 4 that they had a close-knit family, also a blessing from God.

-          In verse 5 we have the example of Job praying for his children, sacrificing for them, being the priest of his home in interceding for them, concerned even about sins that may just be in their hearts – what a picture of a father!

God gives.

This is a good starting point in looking at God’s providence.

We acknowledge this every time we pray “give us this day our daily bread” – we work for it, but we recognize that ultimately God gives it.

This is the truth of James 1:17 that every good and perfect gift is from above, from our heavenly Father

 

The root of the English word “providence” is of course “provide”

 

One of the key truths we saw in Job 38-41 last week is that God provides for all his animals and creatures, gives them strength, gives them food, takes care of them from the time from the smallest newborn baby animals to the greatest and biggest dinosaurs.

God governs and ordains the time of birth of a mountain goat, or when the deer are calving, God is the one who lets the wild donkey go free, the one who makes some birds have great intelligence and others like ostriches not so much smarts.

God is the one who feeds the ravens, who causes a horse’s mane to grow and makes them jump and gives them their strength.

This is all due to the Providence of our God.

Abraham probably lived in same era as Job and in Genesis 22 we have a memorable story of the Lord’s provision.

7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”

And he said, “Here I am, my son.”

And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”

So the two of them walked on together.

9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”

And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” 13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind /him /a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.

14 Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.”

It is no coincidence that the ram got caught in the thicket that very moment, that the angel of the LORD is not dispatched too late, that God providentially spares Abraham’s son a moment before death, and providentially gave a lamb as a substitute offering.

This beautiful picture prefigures the way the Heavenly Father gave up His own son as the Lamb of God to die on another mount called Calvary and take away the sins of the world for all who would repent and trust Christ.

This may be an extraordinary example of providence, but God is equally involved in the ordinary events of everyday life.

There are no coincidences, everything has a purpose.

And whenever God gives, we should praise Him right then.

* *

*God Governs All (v.

6-12)*

READ TEXT

The question Satan raises deserves our attention: Do we serve God because He is God or because it profits us?

Three aspects of God’s Governing Providence are seen in this section

 

1) In verses 6-9 we see God /presiding/

-          angelic beings are under Him, even fallen angels

-          Satan is alive and well, but he is not in charge

-          Even Satan is subservient to God

-          Jesus told Peter “Satan has asked permission to sift you as wheat” (Lk 22:31)

2) In verse 10 we see God’s /protection/ and blessing

3) In verse 11-12 we see God /permitting/, or “purposefully allowing”

-          Satan cannot lift a finger apart from God’s will

-          Notice in v. 11 Satan calls on God’s hand to strike Job (was it Satan or God’s hand doing this?